Why?
by Shuriyu
Summary: Just after Detective Don Flack is released from the hospital following the bomb accident, he winds up right back in again. What's going on? What's wrong? Reviews, feedback and constructive criticism are appreciated and encouraged.
1. Chapter 1

Over on Jess' role-play board, there's an RP called "Confrontation". We're going to do a little fanfic on the RP and what has happened, starting from the beginning, more or less. Credit does also go to Mel and Jess for the oppourtunity to do this and for some creative thinking in the RP to nudge me along. Mel played the Mac role, Jess played Lindsay and Stella, and I played Danny and Flack. Most paragraphs are direct quotes from Mel and Jess' parts, but some are tweaked. All Flack and Danny's parts, along with most of the medical limbo is mine. (…Mel, Jess.. I edited a few things out.. ! I apologize for it now, but it's easier to do most of the RP then write a honking long summary.)

Characters still belong to CBS and CSI: NY, we just role-play them. No telling how many chapters this might be, so be prepared.

In "Confrontation", Flack actually does live. But what if everything went wrong, and he didn't?

Rating/Content Warning: 14A – Swearing, mentions of death and actual character death.

Fandom: CSI: NY

Spoilers: A few months after the S2 finale – "Charge of this Post".

Summary: Flack is released from the hospital, but everything goes downhill, something completely unexpected.

Author: Lauren, Jess, Mel (Joint Fic)

**Chapter 1**

Danny and Lindsay had hightailed it out of the lab as soon as they remembered that Flack had been released from Bellevue Hospital, picking up food and drinks on their way over to the homicide detective's apartment. Danny climbed out from the car after they parked, grabbing the grocery bags with one hand and then fishing out the apartment key with the other.

"When we get inside, be as quiet as possible. I wanna see if Flack is sleepin'," Danny said with a grin, looking up to Lindsay momentarily.

Lindsay nodded and took the pizza out of the car. "We should probably let him sleep if he is," she said as she walked up to the apartment with Danny.

"Or loom over him till he wakes up," Danny then suggested with a laugh. He let them both into the apartment building then led Lindsay to Flack's place. He quietly unlocked the door and opened it up an inch, peeking inside to see the lights off and no sound...

Until he heard Flack snore.

Danny had to stifle a laugh, letting Lindsay into the apartment and setting the things in his hands in the kitchen. As Danny began to put things into their rightful places, he whispered to Lindsay that Flack was sound asleep for the time being.

Lindsay giggled a little and set the pizza down on the counter. She grabbed Danny's hand and led him to the living room after he finished putting away the groceries. "We should let him sleep," she told him as she dragged him over to the couch. "He won't mind us being here, and I think he needs the rest." Lindsay paused for a moment before continuing. "If the pizza doesn't wake him up in a few minutes, I don't know what will, it smells so damn good," she laughed.

Danny laughed lightly, following her to the couch. "Yeah, he'll wake up in a bit, I'm sure," he said with a light shrug. "Pizza is his weak spot." Danny stopped and listened for a moment, he was pretty sure Flack was still asleep, but all noise had stopped. It was then he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun safety being turned off. "Son of a gun," he joked quietly before raising his voice. "Ya sure you still know how ta shoot that thing, Flack?"

Flack appeared around the corner, having a half-groggy look, short hair sticking out in every which way. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "Next time call or keep it down.. You don't wake me up, ya got it?" he said shortly before scrubbing a hand across his eyes and going to put his gun away. "Thanks for stoppin' by, guys," he then called out, sounding happier than that of when he just woke up.

Danny lightly nudged Lindsay with his elbow. "Always like that when he wakes up," he said with a chuckle.

Lindsay got up and turned to see Flack when he returned to the living room. "Welcome home Don," she said with a smile as she walked up to him. "You look real good buddy," she then said with a laugh as she patted down his hair to make it look all right. "Are you hungry? We brought pizza and ice cream."

Flack grinned to Lindsay. "I just got out, and I already feel spoiled," he said with a light laugh. "Stop actin' like strangers, the both of you, and give me a hug," Flack smirked and wrapped Lindsay up in a bear hug. "Gotta say, it's nice to be back home."

Lindsay laughed a little and wrapped her arms around him. "It's good to have you back, Don," she told him as she held him tightly to her. It felt so good to have him back on his feet.

Danny stood and walked over to the two, chuckling. "Everyone I know hates hospitals. But still, it's really nice to have you back, Don."

Flack was extremely happy that the two had come by. "It's good to be back, Lindsay," he replied. It was a second later after releasing Lindsay, that he began eyeing Danny. Flack's arm shot out and wrapped around Danny's neck, bringing the other man down into a headlock and giving Danny a noogie. "Just be glad ya didn't do anythin' like setting up traps in the place, or I woulda bopped ya a good one."

Danny laughed and tugged free, playfully smacking Flack's shoulder after he straightened himself out. "Oh, c'mon, I'm not that bad," he said before turning and disappearing into the kitchen, grabbing some napkins and the pizza.

Flack looked in the door of the kitchen curiously, looking at the pizza boxes then at the empty plastic grocery bags. "Dan, Linds, remind me to pay you guys back here soon," he said with a frown. "You didn't have to do that."

Lindsay shrugged. "We wanted to. We were excited that you were coming home today, so we brought you some stuff to welcome you back," she said with a smile. Lindsay leaned up and kissed Flack on the cheek. "Think of this as your little welcome home party."

"Ya guys still didn't have to," Flack smiled. He soon wandered into the kitchen to take a look around at what the two of them bought before going into the fridge and grabbing a few drinks. "Make yourselves at home, guys," he said motioning for them to go into the living room, following Danny out of the kitchen.

Danny led the two back into the living room, taking a seat on one of the couches. "Ya shouldn't be afraid to ask for anythin'. We're all only a phone call away, and you know that," he said to Flack with a smile.

Flack smiled. "Thanks guys, really," he said before sitting on a different couch than the two. He leaned forwards and grabbed a slice of pizza with a napkin, but when he sat back, he was smiling. "So, you two start datin' yet?" he asked casually, taking a bite of his slice.

Danny had just taken a drink, eyes going wide when Flack asked that. He choked down the mouthful he had before doubling over in coughs. "Why the hell are you askin' that?" he said raspily, one hand lightly pounding his chest.

"...Because I can," Flack replied simply.

Lindsay leaned away from Danny and gave him an evil glare. "Why is that so hard to picture?" she asked Danny. "And no, we're not dating," she replied to Flack as she leaned over and patted Danny on the back.

Danny's eyes narrowed. "The question took me by surprise," he said flatly to Lindsay.

Flack merely chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I woulda thought you were," he replied. "So, how's work been?"

Lindsay completely omitted Flack's second question. "You think it looks like we're dating?" she asked.

Flack looked completely calm about it all, smiling a little as he took a sip of his drink. "Somewhat, yes. Watching both of your reactions to each other is an interesting show in itself," he said.

Danny blushed and tried to hide it by playing off that he was rubbing his eyes.

Lindsay looked over to Danny. _Is it really that obvious that I like him? Does he like me too?_ Lindsay had so many questions running through her head right now. "Name one time that it looked like we had the hots for each other," she challenged Flack.

"Well… The way ya keep lookin' at him. I can't place it, but it's somethin' in your eyes. And he's blushin' at the thought," Flack said with a cheeky grin. Not much slipped past him, thanks to his experience in interrogations and observations.

Danny groaned aloud and dropped his hands, blushing furiously. "Damn you, Flack," he said coldly.

Lindsay kept her eyes trained on Flack for a minute and then looked to Danny. "Danny?" she asked, and then paused a bit. "Is he right?" she finished, eyes searching Danny's for the truth.

Danny took a moment before looking up at Lindsay fully. "Well... Today in particular has been a little awkward. You grabbed my hand several times, called me hun, and kissed my cheek," he said with a raised eyebrow.

Lindsay definitely needed a way to avoid that. She thought for a minute before finally finding a way to get around it. "You didn't answer my question Danny," she said slyly.

Danny opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He sighed then thought what he was going to say through before asking it. "Is he right about what?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

Flack was secretly wishing he had a camera or a camcorder, because this was actually beginning to get somewhat interesting. Instead he sat back on the couch, watching the whole thing unfold in front of him, grinning.

"Are you attracted to me Danny?" she asked him, point blank. She looked over at Flack who had a grin on his face. She smirked over to Flack and then locked her gaze back onto Danny.

Danny was pretty sure he was beet red, because his face felt hot. "I ah.. uhm.. Gah! What is this! Interrogate Danny day!" he asked, standing and removing himself to go to the washroom. He really just wanted to get out of the line of fire.

Once Danny had disappeared into the washroom and shut the door, Flack chuckled, looking over to Lindsay. "Yeah, I'd say he is."

Lindsay nodded and then sat back on the couch. "I wish he'd just say it," she told him. "You're right Flack, I think I'm in love with him," Lindsay then admitted. "All day he's been brushing up against me, giving me looks I haven't seen before, and it's been driving me crazy."

Flack smirked a little, taking a sip of his drink again. "Well... I'm not exactly the best person to be issuing this type of advice, but now that he's been cornered with it, it's very possible he'll ask you out," he said. "I'm certain he's close to saying those 'three little words', truthfully."

"Shuddap!" Danny hollered from the bathroom, easily hearing what Flack was saying.

"I don't know what he's so afraid of, of course I'd say yes to him," Lindsay replied quietly so that Danny couldn't hear what she said. She sighed and walked up to the bathroom door, knocking on it lightly. "Danny, come out please," she said pleadingly.

Danny soon emerged from the bathroom, looking at Lindsay with a calm expression. He motioned for one moment before he walked to the living room. He raised a pillow to whack Flack over the head but Flack just reached out, pulling the other man over the back of the couch and to the floor. Flack slid off the couch and sat on Danny, effectively pinning him there as Danny flailed around on his stomach. "Get offa me!" he shouted.

Flack didn't budge. "You asked for it. And just go ahead and admit it. She's all ears," he said simply.

Lindsay had looked at Danny with a confused expression when he told her to wait, though she had to stifle a laugh when she saw Flack do that. She walked up to the two, smiling with an amused expression. "That's not exactly what I had in mind Flack, but it is quite entertaining," she said, trying to stifle another laugh.

"Just because I just got out of the hospital, doesn't mean I can't take him down," Flack smirked, leaning back against the couch casually.

Danny flailed about some more before feeling Flack shift his weight. He purposely pushed himself under Flack's legs and pushed up onto his hands and knees, Flack soon finding himself on the floor, lying on his back.

"You little bugger!" Flack said, before wrapping his legs around Danny's neck, trying to push him back and to the side. Danny just fought back and both ended up grabbing throw pillows and beating each other with them. It was like brothers having a pillow fight.

Lindsay thought it was funny at first, but then it just got ridiculous. "You guys are like children," she told them. "Stop guys," she then said, but nothing was working. "DO I HAVE TO STRIP FOR YOU TWO TO STOP!" she asked loudly, knowing that that would get their attention.

Both Flack and Danny paused when they had the pillows raised for another hit. They both looked over to Lindsay with sly grins, answering in unison. "Yeah," they both replied. Danny was currently on his knees above Flack, one hand fisted in Flack's shirt with the pillow up by his ear. Flack was lying down on his back, one arm raised to block the hit Danny was going to do next, his pillow held out to the side and ready to strike the side of Danny's head. Both had the exact same expressions as they looked at Lindsay.

Lindsay sighed and rolled her eyes. She took off the blazer that she had on, leaving the camisole underneath. "There, now stop it," she told them as she lifted Danny up by his shoulders and took the pillow from him. She then helped Flack up. "This probably isn't the best thing for Don after he just got out of the hospital," she told Danny. Lindsay put the pillows back on the couch and crossed her arms across her chest. "Can I stop mothering you now?" she asked, reaching for her blazer to put it on again.

Both men groaned when Lindsay stopped after taking off the blazer. Danny got up with her pull, smirking a little. "I'm sure I have a C note somewhere," Danny said teasingly, referring to a hundred dollar bill. "And I was bein' careful, I swear."

Flack shrugged. "He kept the pressure off my stomach, I'm fine," he said with a grin before laughing. "No one can _ever_ get too much mothering." Flack straightened out his shirt, pulling at the edges a bit before looking up to the two. "Haven't done that in forever though."

"Yeah, you're not gettin' old yet, so suck it up, _princess_," Danny said.

Flack pointed a finger at Danny, having a warning look. "Don't you try."

Lindsay rolled her eyes when they groaned. "You are such men," she told them as she went over to Flack. "You sure you're okay?" she asked as she brushed off his shirt as well and then pulled him into a hug. She backed away a few seconds later and then smiled up to the tall man.

Flack smiled to Lindsay, hugging her back. He tried to resist saying what he thought, but it failed. "Yeah, I'm sure. But if you want, you can do a physical yourself," he said with a smirk.

Danny just smacked Flack's shoulder with the heel of his palm. "Perverted tramp."

"I don't see you makin' any moves, Messer," Flack stated.

That just earned Flack a smack to the head.

Lindsay pushed Danny away from Flack and sat Danny down on the couch. "He's right Danny," she told him as she turned around and decided to play a little game. "That depends on my schedule Detective Flack, but I might be able to fit you in," she said with a teasing smile.

Danny tensed right up, staring at Flack and Lindsay. "You sonuvabitch," he said quietly. "You can't do that!"

"Since when was it a law not to?" Flack smirked before looking to Lindsay. He was following along with the game. He was just trying to provoke Danny into saying it. "Later this evening maybe? I can cook quite well," he said with a smile.

Lindsay turned to Danny and gave him a nasty look. She turned back to Flack and smiled. "That sounds like a plan." Lindsay said, getting close to Don and then reaching out to hold the hand that was in clear view to Danny.

Flack smirked, moving to do the same as he gazed at Lindsay. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Danny moving.

Danny shot up and walked back over to the two. He was about to do basically what each of them wanted to happen. Danny shoved Flack back and turned Lindsay around, pressing his lips to Lindsay's, a firm grip on her arms.

Flack wound up grinning away. It was _about time_.

This caught Lindsay totally off guard. She gasped a little and didn't even know what was happening until she found Danny's lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around Danny and smiled through his lips. This wasn't how she imagined him telling her how he felt, but it still worked, and she actually thought it was quite exciting.

Danny kissed Lindsay a bit deeper, arms wrapping around her lower back. He soon pulled away, but just enough to speak and gaze into her eyes. "Yeah, the stupid nut was right… I'm crazy in love for you," Danny told her with a slight smile.

Flack chuckled. "Aren't I always?" he said to himself, going over and sitting down on the couch again.

Lindsay smiled and gazed back into his eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek and tilted her head a bit. "I love you too Danny," she said as she leaned in again and kissed him once more briefly, but then pulling back since Flack was in the room.

Danny gently kissed her back before reluctantly pulling back and looking up at Flack. "I hate your tactics. And I hate you," he said with a slight smile.

"'Bout time you stopped… I was just about to say 'get a room'," Flack said with a smile before reply to what Danny said. "Naaaaaaah... You love me to bits."

"Grudgingly," Danny said flatly.

Lindsay laughed a little at their comments and then sat down again. "You're right Flack, we do love you, you're a great matchmaker too," she said with a laugh.

Oh I try," Flack said, grinning away. "So does this mean I still get my physical?"

Danny sat next to Lindsay again, kicking Flack's shin at the question.

"Oi.. Don't be rough in my household," Flack frowned.

Lindsay leaned into Danny and giggled a bit. "Sorry Flack, no physical," she said in a defeated tone as she rested her head on Danny's shoulder. INow/i this Ifeels right/I she thought to herself.

Flack chuckled and waved his hand a bit through the air. "Ah, my hopes aren't crushed yet," he said with a grin. "So.. You guys have any questions or anythin'?"

Danny gently wrapped one of his arms around Lindsay, smiling to her before looking back to Flack. "Nah… None at the moment I guess."

"I have one," Lindsay piped with a smile. "Do you really get all the ice cream you want in hospitals?" she asked with a smile. She knew it was a stupid question, but she wanted to lighten the mood.

"Well... Depends if you can suck up to the nurses enough," Flack grinned cheekily. "I, unfortunately, wasn't so lucky."

Lindsay 'awwed' at what Flack said and then glanced up at Danny to see him laughing. She shook her head, turning back to Flack. "Well nurse Danny and Lindsay brought you some ice cream," she said with a smile.

Flack laughed a bit. "You guys want any?" he asked before standing to retrieve some. "Ice cream is my somewhat another weak spot.."

Danny shook his head. "Pizza was enough for me. Go for it. Lindsay?"

Lindsay smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'll have some, let me get it though Flack, you sit down," she told him.

"No, no, you sit down," Flack protested with a grin. "Ya already did enough for me anyways." He made his way to the kitchen, grabbing out two bowls and spoons before the ice cream, dishing out reflexively equal parts.

Danny chuckled lightly when Flack had protested, looking over to Lindsay. "Seems like he's more of a gentleman isn't he?"

"I heard that," Flack called from the kitchen.

Lindsay sighed and sat down. "He is the perfect gentleman..." she then turned to Danny and pushed him a little. "Why can't you be like that?" she asked jokingly.

Danny laughed. "I will when you two come over to my place and be house guests," he said with a smirk. "I didn't say I wasn't."

Flack returned everything to their rightful spots. He stuck his spoon into his mouth then put Lindsay's in her bowl. Bringing them out, Flack handed Lindsay's ice cream over with a silly grin, having the spoon stick out from in between his teeth. It was when he sat back down he finally took the spoon out. "He's sayin' that because whenever we're over here watchin' the game, he whines at me ta get a beer for him."

"No I don't, you moron."

"Yes, ya do."

Lindsay laughed at their bickering. "Well then how about this; When you guys come over to my house, you can both get me my beers," she said with a laugh as she ate her ice cream.

Danny pouted. "I do _not_ whine.." he said quietly with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah ya do, ya _drama queen_," Flack smirked, sticking a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"Flack, shut up."

Lindsay looked at Danny with harsh eyes. "If you don't whine then what was that, Danny?" she asked him with a teasing tone. "That's all right I still love you honey," she said with a laugh.

Danny groaned lightly before sighing. "I swear, some days, I hate you all," he joked.

Flack smirked, not saying anything as he ate his ice cream.

Lindsay just looked up at Danny with harsh eyes. She knew he didn't hate her... Ever.

Danny looked at Lindsay a bit, biting his tongue lightly. "I was being sarcastic."

Flack grinned. "Ya sure 'bout that?"

Danny shot Flack a dirty look a second later.

Lindsay leaned into Danny and then eyed Flack. She snuggled into Danny's arms, never breaking her glare with Flack the whole time.

Danny gently wrapped his arm around Lindsay, taking to glaring at Flack as well.

Flack looked up from his bowl once he finished his ice cream, tensing when he fell face to face with their glares. He pressed back against the couch, completely ridged as he looked at them. "Y-yes?"

Lindsay couldn't hold her straight face anymore, she just started to laugh. "Ever feel like you're being watched Don?" she asked with a smile.

Danny tried hard to keep his 'poker face' on for as long as possible.

"Yeah… And now I'm wondering if you two are the raccoon eyes I see in my window every night," Flack said with a raised eyebrow, looking at Danny curiously before looking to Lindsay.

Lindsay laughed a little before resting her head on Danny's chest. "I don't have raccoon eyes, I have very nice eyes I'm told," she said with a giggle.

"You do, it's just sometimes I get curious about who's starin' at me in the middle of the night," Flack smirked.

Danny finally cracked into a grin. "Flack, are you coming back to work tomorrow?"

Flack paused, tilting his head to the side. "Tryin' to, depending if Mac restricts me from the office or not."

Lindsay shrugged. "He might not let you. I know if I was your boss, I wouldn't let you," she told both of them.

Flack frowned. "Well, I wanna go in and grab some paperwork… Or somethin' to keep me busy, at least! I've been itching to do something constructive for weeks," he said with a sigh. "I feel perfectly fine."

Danny smiled lightly at what Lindsay said. "But the final decision always comes down to Mac, ah?"

Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, paperwork is probably the only thing you're going to get to do though, I don't know. If you can convince Mac that you're going to be alright, then he might just let you work," she said.

"Hey, Danny and I were bawling it out on the floor not too long ago, I think I'd be okay," Flack began. "I'm...just not looking forward to re-evaluation."

Danny smirked. "Yeah, those guys might have something to say.."

Lindsay shrugged again. "They can kiss my ass, I hate going through that type of thing." Lindsay said as she rested her head on Danny's shoulder once more. "You'll do just fine, Don."

Flack's eyebrow shot up at the use of the phrase. "Hopefully," he replied before changing the pace a bit. "So Montana, when was the last time you wore shitkickers and ate prairie oysters?" he questioned.

Danny's face went blank at the question before blinking. He just got lost in one question. The hell was the man talking about?

Lindsay looked at him like he was nuts when he mentioned prairie oysters. "Prairie oysters? Never, don't want 'em. Shitkickers? Just last week," she said with a smile. She was a true country girl after all.

Danny looked between Lindsay and Flack, looking truly lost. "The hell are shitkickers and prairie oysters?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

Flack was trying not to split his side with laughter. "Cowboy boots and bull's balls, Danny."

Danny's face contorted when Flack said bull's testicles. Flack just killed himself laughing. "You're the one who ate the bugs!" Flack said between laughs, clutching his sides.

Danny stood and grabbed a pillow, whacking Flack over the head a few times. "You lug nut!"

Flack took a moment to calm down, now sprawled out on the couch from laughing and trying to stop Danny from hitting him. He was grinning away, one hand resting on his stomach as the other wiped his eyes. "I loved that expression," he said. It was soon he had a hard time figuring out if his side was really hurting, or if it was hurting from laughing too hard.


	2. Chapter 2

Hope this has all been fairly good thusfar! Thanks for the beta-work, Jess!

---

Characters still belong to CBS and CSI: NY, we just role-play them. No telling how many chapters this might be, so be prepared. 

In "Confrontation", Flack actually does live. But what if everything went wrong, and he didn't?

**Rating/Content Warning:** 14A – Swearing, mentions of death and actual character death.  
**Fandom:** CSI: NY  
**Spoilers:** A few months after the S2 finale – "Charge of this Post".  
**Summary:** Flack is released from the hospital, but everything goes downhill, something completely unexpected.  
**Author:** Lauren, Jess, Mel (Joint Fic)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 2**

Danny's face contorted when Flack said bull's testicles. Flack just killed himself laughing. "You're the one who ate the bugs!" Flack said between laughs, clutching his sides.

Danny stood and grabbed a pillow, whacking Flack over the head a few times. "You lug nut!"

Flack took a moment to calm down, now sprawled out on the couch from laughing and trying to stop Danny from hitting him. He was grinning away, one hand resting on his stomach as the other wiped his eyes. "I loved that expression," he said. It was soon he had a hard time figuring out if his side was really hurting, or if it was hurting from laughing too hard.

Lindsay burst out laughing too. She had seen Danny's face. She thought that it was the funniest thing in the world, but if he came over to her and whacked her with the pillow, she was ready to tackle him to the ground. Back in Montana, if you hit your girlfriend, even with a pillow, the woman had the right to hogtie the guy if she wanted to.

Danny tossed the pillow towards Lindsay, though not to hard, grinning away. "Yeah, well... You're both nuts."

Flack grinned a bit, looking to Lindsay before up to Danny. "Dan, can you help me back up, at least?"

Danny nodded, taking Flack's hand and starting to pull the man up, ceasing when Flack clamped a free hand to his mouth and bit back a cry of pain. Needless to say, Danny was startled, immediately letting go of Flack's hand and seeing it go to the man's side, clutching.

Lindsay was about to attack Danny when she saw Flack go down like that. She practically shoved Danny out of the way and then went to Flack's side. "Don, baby? Are you okay? What hurts?" she asked him worriedly. She didn't mean to use the pet name, but she was really worried. "Danny, call the doctor," she told him. "And be prepared to call 911."

Danny went around to the other side of the couch, looking at Flack closely before pulling out his cell.

"Danny, don't," Flack said sharply, his voice evidently strained. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, feet back on the floor as he doubled over, eyes clamped shut. "I'm fine..."

"Can we at least get Hawkes-"

"_Danny, I'm fine,_" Flack cut Danny off harshly, waving off Lindsay's questions as he suppressed the groans the pains in his side and stomach created.

Lindsay shook her head. "No you're not Flack." she told him firmly. She looked back at Danny and nonverbally told him to call 911. She looked back at Flack and grabbed his hand. "Come on Flack, who are you being a hero for? Huh? Just tell me what hurts, please Don, we want to help." She knew that calling him Don might help, since she only called him that when she was being deathly serious.

Danny did what Lindsay asked, going into the kitchen and calling for an ambulance.

"What do you think hurts?" Flack shot, his hand holding hers almost like a vice grip. He was extremely harsh when he was in this much pain. Flack was still clutching his side with his free hand, bringing himself to more of a forty-five degree angle than doubled-over, his breathing becoming laboured.

Lindsay gasped a little when he snapped at her. She quickly went around the back of him and kneeled behind him. She never let go of his hand, since it seemed like he needed it. "Lean back against me, and let out a deep breath Don," she instructed. She needed to get him to relax.

Flack had a hard time leaning back without fully collapsing, resting back against Lindsay as his breaths became shorter rather than deeper. "I... I'm sorry," he choked out. It was soon that he looked like he was about to go into shock.

Danny soon emerged from the kitchen. "They're on their way," he told Lindsay before going over to kneel next to the two on the floor. "Christ... Flack, breathe you moron!" he said forcefully, lifting Flack's shirt up a bit and checking over the man's side for anything visible.

Lindsay shook her head. "You don't have to apologize to me Flack, all you have to do is stay awake for me, okay? Try to take longer breaths," she told him as she reached her other arm around him to hold his other hand. "Stay with me Flack, please," she begged as she let him squeeze both of her hands as hard as he wanted.

Flack gripped Lindsay's hands just about till his knuckles turned white. It was soon that his eyes rolled back into his head, his whole body falling limp as he passed out. Flack's grip, too, released itself of their hold on Lindsay's hands.

Danny looked more and more stressed and panic-stricken when Flack passed out, brow creasing. "The hell happened to him? I didn't even go anywhere near his side, and I wasn't hitting him that hard," Danny began. "This is my fault..." Danny sat back when he couldn't find anything wrong, looking at his friend's unconscious form before up to Lindsay. "The hell happened?"

"Damn it!" Lindsay cursed when he fell limp in her arms. She looked to Danny and then down at Flack. "This wasn't your fault Danny, please don't go blaming yourself, I can't deal with that right now," she said as she continued to try to wake the detective. It was then that the paramedics came rushing through the door pushing Lindsay out of the way. They placed Flack on a gurney and carried him out of the apartment.

As soon as Flack was gone, Lindsay crawled over to Danny and threw herself into his arms. She'd never seen anything like that in her life and she was scared to death. She just hoped that Flack would be okay, and that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him.

Danny stared after the paramedics and Flack before looking to Lindsay, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Flack wasn't even a day out and he was back in the damn hospital again. Danny gently kissed the side of Lindsay's head, mumbling a few things to her and saying it'd be all right soon. Truth be told, Danny was just as freaked out as Lindsay was, not knowing what happened. It was soon he pulled back a bit and looked to Lindsay more fully. "We gotta call Mac, and then see what hospital Don was admitted to," he said weakly.

Lindsay held onto Danny tightly, finding comfort in his words. She didn't know what to say, or do, or even think. She had tried her hardest to help Flack and it didn't work. She'd never had to try to help someone like that before; she'd always dealt with the dead, the people who couldn't be helped anymore. When she was faced with that problem, she did the best with what she knew, but her best just wasn't good enough. They were supposed to be here celebrating Flack's return home, not be readmitting him to the hospital. Lindsay pulled back with a sigh and then nodded in agreement. One second they were laughing and having a good time, the next they were trying desperately to keep Flack awake and out of danger. It was a lot to handle, and Lindsay was always touchy about her friends getting hurt.

Danny looked to Lindsay, studying her features for a moment, knowing what she was thinking about. "It should be okay," he told her softly, wanting to believe his own words for the most part. Danny couldn't even begin to believe what happened, confused about it all. He didn't even go near Flack's side and the man was doubled over in pain. Danny soon reached for the phone, then noticing his hands were shaking with renewed fright for his friend's life. He dialed Mac's cell number, waiting for the supervisor to answer. Danny just hoped he wasn't doing anything too important.

"Yeah, Danny?" Mac answered, recognizing the number on the ID as he picked up his cell. He was a little curious since Danny wasn't working a case right at the moment and he remembered both Danny and Lindsay were supposed to be with Flack.

"Mac, you know how Don was released today? Well just a few minutes ago, Lindsay and I don't know what happened, but he doubled over. It was soon that he passed out. Linds tried to revive him but it didn't work and we have no idea what happened. He's been transported to the hospital," Danny said hurriedly, sounding extremely worried. "I think he's gone to Bellevue, it's closest to here. He was fine and then all hell broke loose, Mac."

Mac mentally cursed the bad turn. Flack had just gotten out of the hospital, he didn't need to be going right back in. Flack had a hard road lately and it had seemed to be getting better until this. "I'll meet you there. And I'll let Stella know too," Mac replied, getting started on getting there even while he was talking.

"Not even twenty four hours," Danny soon said, standing and pulling Lindsay up with him. "We'll see you at the hospital. I just hope he'll be okay." He soon flipped his cell phone closed and slipped it into his pocket. "Let's hurry, Linds."

Mac was pushing it fast, using his siren to cut through the heavy NYC traffic. Unfortunately not everyone was paying close attention. Mac looked to the side just in time to see someone come toward him and feel the impact. The blow was cushioned on his side by a side airbag, and most of it was on the passenger side anyway, but he still was knocked for the proverbial loop and his memory was a little hazy until he was on his way to the hospital. He didn't think he was all that badly hurt but it'd be a while before he'd convince _them_ of that so he could get to Flack.

As soon as Danny and Lindsay the apartment, he turned and locked Flack's door. Danny reached over and grabbed Lindsay's hand, dragging her along at almost a run. Time barely even registered in his mind, or the car ride to the hospital. One minute they were outside Flack's apartment building, the next they were rushing into the hospital. Danny couldn't even remember if Lindsay had said anything to him or not. Something poked and prodded him in the back of his mind, saying something had happened to Mac, but he couldn't tell if it was true or not. Were two of his friends really hurt?

Stella was sitting at home, enjoying her day off by sitting next to the police scanner and listening to all he bogus calls. She listened as the scanner spit out an 11350. "An illegal chinchilla farm?" Stella said, with a laugh. She then heard a call she never wanted to hear.

"We have a car wreck police officer involved NY hospital bound. NY crime lab supervisor we need all units avail-" Stella shut the scanner off, grabbed her keys and headed for the hospital.

Mac wished he could call Stella and the others to let them know, but the phone would potentially interfere with their machines so they wouldn't allow it. He wasn't having any difficulty breathing or unless he was missing anything, he couldn't feel it. Mac's arm and ribs were hurting and he _did_ have a nasty cut on his forehead. He likely would have to be cat-scanned, which further annoyed him; he wanted to find out what was wrong with Flack.

Stella stepped into her car, and turned on her siren. She raced down the streets of NY, honking her horn more than she usually did. Within about ten minutes, which was pretty good since it usually took her over twenty minutes to get there, Stella was at the hospital doors. A doctor tried to stop her, but all she did was shove her badge in his face and told him to "back off". She entered Mac's room and then stood by his side. "Mac?" she asked, wincing at the cut on his face.

"I'm okay, well, almost...think I got a broken arm and a couple cracked ribs. I was trying to get up here to see what's going on with Flack and I had the siren on but someone t-boned me. A combination of the airbag and the impact being on the passenger side is why I'm not hurt any worse."

"Flack… I don't know what's wrong with him. Danny said they had to rush him back up here. After him going through so much already, he doesn't deserve this," Mac sighed.

Stella leaned down over him, listening intently. She was a woman of instinct, and right now her instincts told her that Mac needed her. "Flack will be all right," she said as she ran a hand through Mac's hair, and took his hand with her other. "And Danny and Lindsay will be with him, so I'll be here for you," Stella then said with a small smile.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. I'm probably lucky I'm not dead or critical... the other guy really wasn't going all that fast, or it probably would have been worse." He shifted a little. "Gonna need some painkillers, I'm really gonna feel this in the morning."

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Danny rushed into the hospital and found out where Flack and Mac were. Flack had been taken to the ER and a doctor was soon sent out to question Danny. The young CSI answered all he could but soon was thrown for a loop when the doctor asked when Flack had last eaten.

"An hour ago; Why?" Danny asked checking his watch.

"Detective Flack was just released earlier today, and just under two months ago he had suffered a bomb accident?" the doctor questioned.

"Yes, that's right..."

"It sounds like an aortic aneurysm. The paramedics said he was suffering from sharp pains, faintness, shortness of breath, and his skin was damp. Those are some of the symptoms, and that's what it's leaning towards. Detective Flack was administered a few painkillers but heavy stress and pain continued so we were forced to give a sedative," the doctor explained. "Is there any of his family in New York or the surrounding areas?"

"No.. Closest relative is in Michigan, his parents moved to Washington six months back."

"Close friend or boss?"

"Flack is a colleague of mine, and our boss was admitted to this hospital just recently? A... Car accident?" Danny questioned more than stated. "If there's anyone closest enough to a father figure right now, it's our supervisor."

"Good. We'll need to speak with him quickly," the doctor had heard about Mac and knew which room number he was in, briskly walking down the hall to Mac's room, Danny close on his heels.

Danny didn't like the sound of urgency in the doctor's voice. When they reached Mac's room, he knocked twice before pushing into the room. Danny looked at Stella momentarily before looking to Mac. The doctor took one look at Mac and began speaking. "Detective Taylor? Has someone tended to you yet?"

All this talk of Flack being hurt badly was making Lindsay sick. She felt like she had just witnessed Flack practically dying. She had a whole mix of emotions right now; she was scared, devastated, nervous and anxious. She stayed close to Danny, but it was hard to keep up with him at the pace he was going. Finally they made it to Mac's room. When she got there, she was a little restless. She couldn't stop moving. Finally she shook her head and walked out of the room, and sat on a bench. She folded her hands, bowed her head and prayed to the Lord that everyone would be all right.

"Most of the critical stuff is out of the way, I think all that's left is the cast," he nodded at his bad arm. "Hey, Danny, sorry I had to add to the stress. I was using the siren to get here as quickly as possible and someone else wasn't paying attention, rammed me in the side. The passenger side, fortunately; that and the airbag made it a lot better than it might've been otherwise."

Mac noticed Lindsay leave and was curious. "Flack...is he okay?" he asked, hoping someone had an answer.

Danny shook his head and raised a hand at Mac's apology as if to say it's not needed. He was just glad that Mac was okay. Danny looked out the door momentarily to Lindsay, his expression showing worry and concern.

The doctor sighed a bit. "From what Mr. Messer has told me, Detective Flack seems to have an aortic aneurysm. It's usually caused by a traumatic injury or blunt force to the chest or stomach. It builds up over time, which would explain why it's appeared after Don was released from the hospital. There are two types to the aneurysms: A and B. If he has type A, surgery will be needed to correct the matter because it's located near the heart. If it's type B, it's located in the stomach area, and may only require medication," the doctor paused for a moment. "The quickest procedure to find out is a little risky. He won't be able to eat for at least another five hours and it requires some papers to be signed. He's been out on sedatives and if we wake him after the sedatives wear off the stress on his body could cause something else to occur.

"Usually we'd ask a family member to give their signature on the papers, but in this case there's no relatives in New York as I've been informed. So I'm going to ask if you can sign the papers," the doctor seemed uneasy as he came to the last part. "I'll explain to you the procedure in a minute, but the reason for the rush is because less than half the patients with these aneurysms survive after forty-eight hours. Detective Flack may not have that, given what he's been through."

Stella noticed Lindsay walk out the door, and looked to Danny. She then listened to the doctor, when he told them Flack's condition; she sighed and squeezed Mac's hand hard. She felt hot tears roll down her cheeks for her friend. She knew that since Mac had gotten the call, Danny and Lindsay must have been there with him when he had the aneurysm.

Mac nodded. "Yes, yes, of course." He basically forgot about his own problems; his situation was mild compared to Flack's. He squeezed Stella's hand back, waiting anxiously for the papers, wanting Flack's treatment to start as soon as possible.

The doctor nodded and flipped open the brown folder in his hands, pulling out two papers and setting them on the rolling table in front of Mac along with a pen. "Even with this next procedure - aortic angiography - there's certain risks to take into account, but the worst symptom we've gotten from it thus far is low blood pressure. The worst symptom one could receive is a cardiac tamponade, but it's highly unlikely." He sighed a bit. "Everything comes with a slight risk. After you've given us the go, we'll have to wait about five more hours till we inject him with the fluid needed for the angiography."

"I understand," Mac replied. He looked to Stella. "I hate to have to do this but could you give me a little help? If I try to hold the paper with this hand, I'd probably scream a lot," he sighed. "I guess I should be glad it's not my writing hand, that would be really annoying. And possibly career ending since it's also my gun hand."

"That, or you'd be forbidden to go out into the field on your own and to take lead," the doctor said to Mac with a frown. "It's happened once or twice before. Arrests gone badly. But most officers return to firing guns, though their wrists lets the gun kick back more." He reached over and pressed his fingers to the top of the papers to hold them down, even though he wasn't asked to.

Danny had been deathly silent as he let everything sink in. This was all hard to comprehend for some strange reason. He soon looked up to Stella and Mac with a wide-eyed yet blank expression. Danny hoped that it was type B rather than A. At least Flack wouldn't need to go through another surgery.

Mac didn't speak about it, but his eyes reflected Danny's thoughts, hoping Flack wouldn't need another surgery.

"If it's the stomach type...will he still require surgery?" Mac then asked, curious as he started to sign. He knew the first type could be deadly if not caught in time; the aorta was one of the biggest arteries in the body and bleeding from it was never a good thing. So even the type B didn't sound all that good to him.

"Hopefully, no. If it's caught early enough it can be treated with medication. In this case, I think Detective Flack has good chances," the doctor replied.

Danny sighed lightly, resting back against the wall and letting his head tilt back to rest against it. That was at least one bit of good news.

Stella nodded and helped Mac hold the papers down. She looked to Mac sadly and then to Danny. She wondered if Lindsay was okay too, but she would leave Danny to that when he was ready.

Mac was at least glad for that. "Is there a way...after I get this arm set...that any of us could see him briefly? I mean, I know not everyone can, and that he might not be able to hear us, but...?" He let the question trail off.

Mac could also see the doctor who'd been treating him waiting for the paper signing to finish; it was time to get his arm casted, not that he was particularly happy about it. At least then, though, he'd get some aspirin or morphine or something and stop hurting as much.

Danny didn't want to hear any more so he slipped from the room and went to Lindsay, eyes downcast. He sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

The doctor glanced at Danny's retreating form once before looking to Mac again. "There's no problem with seeing him, just it's unlikely he'll be awake due to the sedatives and painkillers going through him. If he was to respond to a touch or question, it'd be an unconscious answer," he said before picking up the papers and slipping them into the file in his hands before stepping aside to let the other doctor through. "Is there any other questions?"

"No, I don't think so. Thanks for bringing me up to speed, though," the supervisor replied.

"I think it's my turn now," Mac commented as Flack's doctor left. "Oh, these are a couple of colleagues, Detectives Messer...well, that was him leaving, and Bonesera."

Stella smiled to the doctor when she was introduced. She quickly said a 'hello' and then looked down at Mac. "Do you want me to stay?" she asked him

"Please.."

"Well, fortunately your break isn't severe enough to require surgical setting; we'll just give you a sedative while we cast it. As far as your head, I'd like you to stay here overnight for monitoring, but aside from a couple of tiny cracks, there doesn't appear to be anything seriously wrong," the doctor spoke soon.

"That's good. And after the sedative wears off, Detective Flack's doctor told me that I could visit him briefly..."

"Yes, I'll see what we can do after your treatment is finished, all right?"

"Fine." Mac sighed a little. "I'll oblige one night but I'm not fond of hospital stays, so I'm hoping to get out of here tomorrow."

"Depending on how you are, it might be possible, we'll see."

"All right," Mac finally agreed. 

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Lindsay had calmed down. She looked up at Danny as he came and sat next to her, and wrapped her arms around him when he hugged her. "What did the doctor say?" Lindsay asked, almost as if she was afraid to ask.

"He's going to get treatment, and hopefully it'll be with medication and not surgery. What the doctor did say though, if this isn't dealt with before forty-eight hours, Don has over a fifty percent chance of dying," Danny muttered quietly, hugging Lindsay tighter for a moment before slowly pulling away. "It's a good thing we were there when this happened." Danny soon went on to explain what the doctors had to do and so forth.

Lindsay winced when he told her that if they didn't deal with it soon, he had a high chance of dying. She buried her head into his chest when he had finished and then let a few tears go. "If we hadn't been there…" Lindsay trailed off. She didn't even want to think about it.

"If we hadn't, he'd have a higher chance of dying," Danny said weakly, wrapping his arms around Lindsay. "Everything should be okay now, though..." He said that even though he didn't know the real answer. It was just something to reassure her and himself.

Lindsay clung to him like he was a lifeline. "He can't die Danny, he can't. We were just with him, he was fine, he was laughing..." Lindsay tried to convince herself it was a dream, but she wouldn't wake up. "This can't be real," she said in a whisper.

Danny gently took hold of Lindsay's shoulders, pushing her back far enough to look her in the eyes. "Shit happens, Lindsay. He'll be okay, he'll be fine," he said softly.

"Detective Messer, Monroe? I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, but you can go see Detective Flack now. He's still under sedation so I don't know if you'll get much... But he's free for visitors," Flack's doctor from earlier informed them before giving them the room number and returning back to work.

Lindsay swallowed and then looked into Danny's eyes. "So...should we go see him?" she asked, taking a deep breath as well. She was almost afraid to see him. He just got out of the hospital, and now it was like they were back to square one.

Danny was silent for a few seconds before he nodded. "Yeah, we probably should," he said gently, standing and offering his hand to her.

Lindsay took a big breath and nodded. She took his hand, and held it tightly all the way there. When they got to his room, Lindsay gripped his hand tightly, and walked in with him.

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That's a bit of a cliffhanger, eh? Reviews, feedback and constructive criticism are appreciated and encouraged.


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